Goodies from my mailbox and camera…

Category: Mail

I heard from Courtney, one of my wonderful students. She is studying in France the 2018-19 academic year, and we promised we’d write to each other months ago! According to her note, she sent two postcards at the same time–the one below was actually number two, written four months after the first. (I haven’t laid eyes on the first one yet). I’m so excited to hear from her and know that she is well.

Here’s the image that evokes many words:

Édouard Boubat (1923-1999), Paris, May 1968

This postcard was the last one of its kind on the rack and the “perfect reminder” to Courtney of me. If she were here, we’d have a long, long conversation about the postcard–the photography, the words, the poem written by French Surrealist poet/novelist/theorist André Breton that inspired the street art turned fine art by French photographer Édouard Boubat.

I asked Louise, my French blogging/penfriend, about the meaning of the phrase, Plutôt la vie. I was suspicious of the “rough” translation, “rather life.” Louise translated the phrase, “Choose life instead.” As with translation, typically, I’m pretty sure there’s still some nuance (in meaning) that can’t be transferred with the substitution of one word for another. We can get pretty close, but we don’t always hit the mark.

It seems almost unfair to share the art without the poem, so here it is:

Choose life instead of those prisms with no depth even if their colors are purer
Instead of this hour always hidden instead of these terrible vehicles of cold flame
Instead of these overripe stones
Choose this heart with its safety catch
Instead of that murmuring pool
And that white fabric singing in the air and the earth at the same time
Instead of that marriage blessing joining my forehead to total vanity’s
Choose life

Choose life with its conspiratorial sheets
Its scars from escapes
Choose life choose that rose window on my tomb
The life of being here nothing but being here
Where one voice says Are you there where another answers Are you there
I’m hardly here at all alas
And even when we might be making fun of what we kill
Choose life

Choose life choose life venerable Childhood
The ribbon coming out of a fakir
Resembles the playground slide of the world
Though the sun is only a shipwreck
Insofar as a woman’s body resembles it
You dream contemplating the whole length of its trajectory
Or only while closing your eyes on the adorable storm named your hand
Choose life

Choose life with its waiting rooms
When you know you’ll never be shown in
Choose life instead of those health spas
Where you’re served by drudges
Choose life unfavorable and long
When the books close again here on less gentle shelves
And when over there the weather would be better than better it would be free yes
Choose life

Choose life as the pit of scorn
With that head beautiful enough
Like the antidote to that perfection it summons and it fears
Life the makeup on God’s face
Life like a virgin passport
A little town like Pont-á-Mousson
And since everything’s already been said
Choose life instead

Of course, the poem deserves a more in-depth reading, but on first glance, Breton seems to call on us to see “life” and beauty in the commonplace, in the mundane, and the unexpected, to live a life beyond the dictates and definitions of society, and accept pain as a beautiful inevitability.

Are you a “closet” artist who’s a little timid about sharing your art with the world? Do you have thousands of photos sitting on your hard drive, in your camera, or in the cloud? Dozens of drawings, sketches, illustrations, paintings, carvings, or sculptures? Have you crafted beautiful scarves or dresses.? Do you use calligraphy to write poems or quotes? If you create anything, Liberate Your Art is your swap, and it’s time to share your art with the world.

Participation is easy-peasy. You select one to five (1-5) pieces of art, make postcard reproductions, and send the postcards along with address labels and postage stamps to Kat Sloma, the swap founder and coordinator. She organizes the postcards and “sends them out into the world.” You will receive six (6) pieces of art in return–one from Kat.

You can find all the details by clicking the image below:

And if you’re interested in seeing art I received and sent from past swaps, click here: LYA on Pics and Posts.

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So art’s not your thing, but you want to get in on the snail mail love? Try Love Notes. Also easy. You write three postcards (or note cards) to one partner over a three week period–in response to a prompt. Cards may be purchased or handmade. The idea is to connect with another person through writing and spread love via snail mail.

Click the link below for more details and to sign up! The first round of 2018 starts January 14, so act quickly!

I participate in both. In fact, a LYA participant introduced me to Love Notes. Should you decide to participate, you will find wonderful communities of beautiful souls and (should you choose) your relationships will extend beyond the yearly (LYA) and quarterly (LN) swaps.

If you have any questions about either swap, please feel free to contact me using the contact form at the bottom of the “A Little About Me” page.

I highly recommend MOO for getting postcards printed. If you’d like to order from MOO, use my referral link and you can save 20% and I can earn moo bucks. [Note: I’m not paid to advertise MOO. I’ve been using moo for 5+ years. They do great work and have excellent customer service. Also, I get to “moo” without being looked at strangely]. 😛

Since today is a holiday in the USA, I replaced my usual Monday blues with some other blues.

“Painted Snail”

Christine B. sent this cool painted snail postcard with well wishes for the start of the academic year. She found the card at Snailmailcool, which is all about “old school” mail–“putting it in a mailbox…so the recipient can open it, read it, save it…treasure it.”

“Swimming with Dolphins,” Mixed Media Mandala by Judi Rose

Do you see the tiny dolphins in the center of the mandala? They swam all the way from Albany, Western Australia, thanks to Nyima. Since we met, Nyima and I have noted the synchronicity of our encounters. Even our names are synchronous–her name, given to her by a Tibetan lama while on a spiritual journey, means sun; mine means moon. It was not so surprising, then, that I received her soothing blue dolphins the same day I received Christine’s blue snail.

She addressed me as “Moon Goddess” in the card and expressed wishes for “much joy, love, and happiness–today and every day.”

Of course, this Monday holiday required taking a little quiet time, gazing out of my home office window, watching the butterflies play, and updating my everyday ARC for autumn. My friend Cy gifted this divider and matching stickers to me last autumn. She purchased them from Tara Kamiya who designs and sells planner goodies.

Since it wouldn’t be a proper bluesy Monday without music, I leave you with some music for Tuesday–in case the other kind of blues are deferred till you return to work tomorrow:

One of the most enjoyable snail mail projects I worked on this year was a mini pocket flipbook for a swap in the Cup and Chaucer group on swap-bot. Cup and Chaucer, as you might have guessed, is a group of swap-bots who love mulling over a great literature with piping hot cup of tea.

I’d never done a flipbook before, but my interest was piqued by the theme–books! How could I resist? Besides sticking to the theme, the only other requirement was that we incorporate a pocket.

My “receive from” partner, AnnaM, created a beautiful flipbook–lots of purple and gold, pretty embellishments, and many thoughtful handmade items. Overall, it was an elegant flipbook, nicely presented.

This is how the flipbook came out of the envelope:

Flipbook Packaging

Here’s the front cover:

Flipbook Front Cover

And the back cover:

“There is no scent so pleasant to my nostrils as the faint subtle reek which comes from an ancient book.” –Arthur Conan Doyle

And everything in between [click an image for a closer look]:

Here’s a closer look at some of the tuck-ins [click an image for a closer look]:

Bookmark

Bookmarks

Book Plates

List Card

Mini Envelope with Letter Tucked Inside

There was just so much “eye candy.” I remember doing the happy mail dance when I opened the package.

The swap came at a crazy time for me–April. The cruelest month. Remember? I didn’t even see an opportunity to work on it until the mail deadline date. I ended up grabbing a bunch of supplies on my way out the door one morning, working on it, and completing it in record time in my office (between classes, of course). I posted it on my way home.

I chose a color pallet and crafted without a plan:

It was early spring and I was happy to see and play with color again.

True to my “English professor” word, I finished the front cover last (I tell my students to write their essay introductions last).

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” –Charles Williams Eliot

Here’s the back cover and everything in-between [click an image for a closer look]:

My favorite part is Dickens’ Dream by Victorian artist Robert William Buss. I scavenged it from a mailer from one of the textbook publishers. The curly haired lady was also salvaged from an envelope or the back of a postcard.

The flipbook was 5 x 7 inches, a manageable size. It was bound with washi tape. I tucked in Jane Austen postcards, Project Life cards, star-shaped Post-it notes, washi tape, and paperclip bookmarks–something else I learned to do this year.

Making the flipbook was an easy and fun activity; I’m looking forward to crafting another one. If you’d like to make your own flipbook and need to see more of the process, here’s the YouTube video I reviewed before making my own:

I hope you’re not tired of reading about autumn, because I received a bit of autumn happy mail today and I have to share!

Swap-bot’s Midteacher sent a swap in an autumn-themed envelope with a gorgeous autumn card and photo. Autumn was not the theme of the swap, but it is not unusual for swappers to send extras that the receiver will enjoy. Of course, my love for the season is no secret.

I will share the swap items tomorrow, but for today, let’s just take a look at the envelope and the autumn extras. Here’s the pretty mail art:

Zentangled Leaves by Midteacher

Just seeing this envelope makes me smile.

On the inside was a card designed with one of Midteacher’s photos and embellished with paper, ribbon, and other items.

She wrote a special thank you note inside which made me feel warm, fuzzy, and appreciated.

She adhered a little photo inspiration to the inside of the card:

Photo Inspiration by DBW aka Midteacher

And added a photo featuring her favorite autumn mug and a crunchy, frosty pile of autumn leaves:

“Leaves and Tea,” Photo by Diane aka Midteacher

Now, I have to make a decision: Should these go on my “Fall Wall” or should they be used in my journaling? Maybe, they should go on the wall until I’m ready to use them in a journal. Hmmm… I’ll figure it out later. For now, I’ll just enjoy the little happy-makers.

Sometimes, people shy away from sending happy mail to others because they don’t know what to write. If you’re one of those people who breaks out in a sweat at even the suggestion of writing a sentence or two, there is indeed a way to put a smile on someone’s face without the anxiety. It is so simple. So easy. You’ll kick yourself for not realizing you could have been doing this all along.

A postcard or a notecard with a quote communicates that you’re thinking of someone just as effectively as a letter or note. Seriously. Don’t believe me? Here’s a simple postcard:

“I want the life, sedateness and leisure of the little town, and its less competitive life leave me more time and space to ponder on problems that seem never to have answers.”

Love it, right? Now, here’s the message:

“Hope. It’s the only thing stronger than fear…” From the Hunger Games Movie

Nothing fancy. Not even a greeting on this one, but don’t you love it even more?

Here’s the inside of a favorite notecard I received earlier this year:

“It Was Never Random”

This notecard carries major sunshine because, even though the quote selection seems random, the person took what she knew about me and found short quotes I’d like.

You see? It’s pretty easy. Now, it’s your turn. Get a postcard–any postcard–find a quote, write it on the postcard, and send it on its way. Don’t have a postcard? Try a notecard or even a piece of card stock. Easy-peasy. Stickers, washi tape, and doodles are optional.

It’s a win-win. Your mood will be elevated during the time you spend selecting quotes and writing them on postcards and you’ll make someone else’s day a bit brighter.

Do you need help finding quotes? You’ll find more than you need at any of the sites below:

Neither my hubby nor I checked our mailbox Thursday, so this bit of awesomeness was retrieved Friday morning as I was heading out to work. Why the squeals? My friend Cy and I “discovered” Tiare Smith Designs moments apart. I actually shared her Etsy link with Cy when I saw some AKA sorority-inspired art. As usual, I was multitasking while shopping, so the “Tia Collection,” one of the sets of postcards I placed in my cart, sold out before I could place the order. I lamented missing out on Tia, but who didn’t miss out? And who sent me this postcard? Cy!

Pause for the “happy mail” dance.

According to her creator, “Tia is here to bring light and love into the world. She has many stories to share.” Besides her “purpleness,” I love the innocence, sweetness, and light Tia projects. She makes me want to skip through a field of flowers with nary a care in the world.

I initially went to Tiare’s shop to purchase a birthday gift for myself–a print the artist posted in “Black Women Who Plan and Create,” a community of black women planners, crafters, and artists on Facebook and Instagram.

“Fearless Girl” by Tiare Smith Designs

This print captured everything I was feeling in the few days after my birthday. Focused. Determined. Fearless.

There was so much eye candy in the shop that I couldn’t resist purchasing other prints. Besides, I had gift cards to spend. 🙂 I purchased a total of 16 postcards, and Tiare included four extras, including three abstract still life prints and a multi-paneled print with tips for including it in planner layouts. Here’s a peek at the order:

A collection of prints by Tiare Smith Designs

Tiare is a mixed media artist and instructor who obviously has fun with her work, but she also takes her work and her customers seriously. She has great customer service–ships quickly, responds to questions, and customizes orders. If you want to see more of Tiare’s art, check her out at Tiare Smith Designs or at her Etsy Shop. She’s also on Instagram and Twitter as @iamclassygirl and on Facebook: Tiare Smith Designs.

It’s always a treat to find a random postcard from Cy in my mailbox, partly because the writing side is always handled with simplicity and elegance. Her message included a quote sticker: “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” A “truth” to live by! 😉